On the Wrong Side of 40

Start Exercising Slowly Initially

Better late than never! The study that people in their late 40s and early 60s can revive heart health through regular and reasonable aerobic exercise program regardless of their inactivity tenure falsifies many age-old proverbs and quotes that state that good habits start at a young age.

This was a small study conducted on a group of around 60 people aged between 45 and 64 years who were healthy but leading a sedentary lifestyle. The group was divided into two and each group was assigned different physical activities for two years. One group took part in 4-5 days of exercise every week and the other group underwent training in yoga, balancing and weight-lifting workouts.

As the participants were not used to exercise all these years, the training was a bit subtle for the initial couple of months after which the participants adopted a regular set of workouts. They were subjected to two days of high-intensity workout, one day of moderate-intensity workout and one or two days of moderate-intensity workout for 30 minutes. Cycling, running, treadmill, elliptical trainers and stationary bikes were included in these training schedules. Individuals in the aerobics group transitioned to their weekly maintenance dose. At the end of the two-year period, the individuals in the exercise group had more youthful hearts than those in the control group who did no aerobic exercise.

Fitness Has No Age Limit
Heart disease is one of the leading cause of death in our country that is prevalent mostly due to inappropriate lifestyle practices, eating habits and stress factors. A flexible heart puts down the risk of heart failure as one ages. This study is a standing evidence that the right amount of exercise at the right time is the key to a healthy heart in the middle ages. One more important thing is that, a sedentary lifestyle in the late middle age increases the risk of heart failure due to stiffening of heart muscles.

One fact that remains a mystery is the upper age limit that stays as a benchmark to reduce the risk of heart disease. Some experiments have shown that intensive exercising after 70s will do nothing to improve the heart health of individuals. Also, simple or casual exercise two to three times a week is not good enough to preserve youthfulness.
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Exercise must be included in your daily activity list, just like brushing your teeth or having your food. All this, combined with the right diet can help in a small way to curb the effects of an unhealthy heart. If you feel that guidance is required on the do’s and don’ts of food habits and exercises during your middle ages, it is best to get in touch with a registered dietitian nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com.